Buried deep within this document is a very mild criticism of Hamas quoting an unnamed development expert in Gaza:
The policies of the de facto authorities in Gaza are not conducive to economic growth and development. Their export and import policies, as well as discriminatory policies in terms of distribution of land, subsidies, external funding and investment opportunities, are all leading to the demise of small businesses, small farmers and fishers. In contrast, there is no room for advocacy with the government given the limitations placed on civil society or to influence positive change on behalf of those who are victims of these policies.
This is an exceedingly polite way to say that Hamas gives out favors to its members and friends and doesn't give a damn about actual people under its control, who have no recourse - they cannot vote Hamas out, they cannot protest without being arrested.
Elsewhere in this report, Oxfam mentions that Hamas employees are incompetent, possibly because the jobs are given out as favors: "[N]ew staff of the de facto authorities in Gaza have very limited
experience and capacities. "
Occasionally, an NGO will throw in a "we condemn indiscriminate Hamas rockets" in order to justify their obsessive focus on finding faults with Israel. Here, however, we see a rare counterexample where the unnamed Hamas is being called out for corruption, in a report that hardly anyone will ever read.
People say that their fanatical insults of Israel is "legitimate criticism." Where is the legitimate criticism of a terror group that controls all aspects of the lives of two million people? How come the news media that has reporters all over Gaza never bothers to report on Hamas corruption, its giving land and jobs to friends?
Media bias is obvious when you look for what's missing.
(h/t Irene)
